Battle at the Hotel Rooftop! Conan versus Gin!
by Agent Vesper
Summary: Conan and Gin clash on the roof of a resort hotel; both provide more of a challenge than the other expects... With everything on the line for the both of them, the two must decide between themselves and everything they stand for.


**Battle at the Hotel Rooftop! Conan versus Gin!**

The professor treats Haibara and Conan to a small vacation, but when they arrive at the hotel they're collided with fate - Vodka and Gin. Conan, who wishes to get closer to destroying the organization they represent, ends up biting off more than he can chew and ends up in a rooftop showdown with the devil himself while risking taking everyone with him!

_A collaborative one shot story from G & C. _

_Warning, contains some strong language as well as blood and suspenseful situations._

_Implements some knowledge from the 13th movie (The Raven Chaser), as well as Agasa's accent from the English dub._

_Please enjoy!  
_

* * *

Agasa-san pushed the hotel door open, allowing the two accompanying him, children of opposite genders, to walk through into the parlor. The girl, a blonde, short-haired and stern looking female, seemed to be having a bit of a disagreement with the brown-haired boy. Agasa-san ironed his forehead with a sigh and proceeded to the receptionist while the other two walked off on their own accord.

"-and I'm telling you that you worry too much," the boy declared in a hiss of a voice, something only really found in older teenagers. "We can't… not go somewhere whenever you get one of your 'feelings'…"

At this the girl gave him the glare of a stone-cold fox. "Edogawa-kun, if I had five yen for every time you've gotten the lot of us in trouble I'd-"

"And if I had it for every time I heard that…"

The two kids continued through the hotel lobby, inspecting the food bar and such. They were here on a makeshift vacation of sorts - to meet Agasa's family. At Haibara, the girl's, urging, Conan was forced along with the two of them, saying she had a bad feeling about going alone. Although Conan took this to heart he couldn't help but tease her on the matter.

But it wouldn't be long before Conan second-guessed the teasing. The girl suddenly went rigid cold, gripping a hold of his tee shirt. A very quick skim of the area made Conan's heart stop. Two men dressed in complete black were sitting in the parlor decently close to the reception desk - one with terribly long silver hair and the other mostly hidden under a fedora.

"Gin…" Conan uttered quietly, hastily whisking Haibara in the other direction, hiding both her and himself behind a rather large plant-pot. Looking over his shoulder the boy growled softly, his heart beating out of his chest. The only thing he was thankful for right now was the fact Gin had killed Pisco before he could tell his superior about the shrinking capabilities of Haibara's drug…

The men in black were talking business, luckily yet to have noticed the children. For their own sakes, at least. Though knowing the aware nature of the two, especially that of the taller. It wouldn't last if they stayed quite so close, behind a potted plant and nothing else. At the least, they didn't know the guise of their smaller counter forms. Yet still, listening in wouldn't get the best reaction rise either. Especially if they became aware of the fact that either of them were particularly knowledgeable about the organization.. Or recognized the girl for who she once was. There were plenty of possible bad 'what if' scenarios to list, one after another.

It seemed they were discussing a deal of sorts.. Details were scarcely mentioned, being in such a public place meeting with a client, Perhaps an informant to the Organization?

Discussion came to an abrupt end.

"He's late."

The shorter of the two, Vodka, looked up at a clock on the wall. "He should've been here already, Aniki.."

Gin took a drag on his cigarette, growling beneath his breath. It didn't take a verbal reply to know that he wasn't enthused to have to meet with the informant in this place, so many people hustling about the hotel lobby, all around the area.

Neither were, in fact.

But That Person had insisted on the importance of meeting with this clientele, and thus it must be done.

Gin leaned back, looking over his shoulder and giving the room a scan with a cold gaze. Something was amiss, He could feel it. That feeling that someone might have been listening in.. It must have been fairly unnerving to who that may be in in that case, wouldn't it?

Conan's eyes narrowed at the exchange of words, looking over his shoulder at the two with that… detail plundering gaze. That Person was involved; the mysterious leader of the Black… when the boy tried to lean in, Haibara yanked him back by the arm sternly.

"Kudo-kun…" The girl hissed softly, her nails biting into his bare arm hard enough to draw blood. His attention was split between her and the two in black… "Do you want to die? Do you want Agasa dead too?" She kept her voice terribly low, her eyes full of malice.

"They're -right here-…" Conan mused quietly, his eyes pained between doing the right thing and leaving… and slipping a tracker onto the two. Torn between what to do, the young detective let out a resigned sigh and looked to his counterpart. He slipped off his glasses and put them on her, mussing up her hair as well. "Tell Agasa-san they're here. I'm not leaving until I get something on them."

"…" Haibara's eyes flicked from dreadfully afraid to horribly angry. "No!"

Conan quickly slapped his hand over her mouth, eyes fearful. "Shht! Keep your voice down!"

Gin paused at the sound, his attention having focused sharply to where he had heard the sudden outburst. Oh dear. Perhaps this was one of those terrible 'what if' situations playing out right now. What if he heard that. What if he KNEW.

Perhaps it was time to stop asking 'what if'.

And just as that, Gin got up rather suddenly, surprising his partner with his unexpected action.

"Hm? Is someone there?" Despite his eyes being hidden by dark sunglasses, it was easy to see that he was a bit confounded, "Is it the client?"

"No, it isn't our client." His reply was short, more intent on what he had discovered than conversational matters. "Though it seems someone else is quite interested in what we have to say.."

With that, Gin made his way down the walkway between the booths, casting his gaze to each as he passed. He was checking.. It wouldn't be long before he'd find them if they didn't act at that point. Two kids hiding behind a potted plant against a booth wasn't inconspicuous at all, really.

But to two children who weren't... actually children? It seemed suspicious enough. At least for them. The moment Gin began getting closer, Conan went rigid, keeping his hand over Haibara's mouth, eyes shrunken down to pennies. Haibara had gone limp, her eyes focused blankly ahead.

Conan, the better of the two at acting his part, suddenly leaped out from behind the pot, looking at Gin, hoping the fear in his eyes wasn't too obvious to ignore the overall effect. "Hey mister! You're a secret agent, right?" The boy asked, putting on a huge, fake smile, pointing at Gin. "I wanna be an agent too!"

Haibara sat behind the plant, completely blindsided by Conan's actions. She didn't even dare to watch him. She simply sat there, her back pressed up tightly to the pot, trembling. Much to their impeccable luck, Agasa came around the corner, ready to tell them the room was ready, when he saw the huddled girl.

She crossed her neck with a finger, eyes desperate. Seeing her, he looked to Conan, and followed his gaze... right to Gin. Freezing solid he simply turned the other way, remembering Shinichi's description of the two men from his first night as Conan.

Gin stopped his advance, as per approached by Conan. Though obscured by his hair, one could feel his piercing gaze seeming to penetrate though any sort of front. Something was off here, and he knew it..

Vodka caught up with his partner soon, stopping short upon noticing the.. Grinning child that stared up at the two. "Ah.. It's just some kid.." He looked to Gin, but upon no response was left to fend the situation off himself. "Oi, this is no place to play." He gave an attempt to shoo him off.

Gin on the other hand, had taken note of something else. The outburst he had heard.. Didn't quite match up with this child's voice. No, he was pretty sure he had heard a girl shout out..

There had to be a second person involved. He continued to gaze that direction, for a moment.. Before stepping past the child that stood before him to, intent on continuing his visual sweep of the area.

Conan's heart beat was racing. He did feel the gaze – and on the inside it was making him writhe as if he was on fire. His pulse pounded and roared through his ears, causing a miniature earthquake all over the boy's body. When Gin walked past him he suddenly went cold, looking fearfully over his shoulder. He'd... recognize her... he was sure of it.

Conan suddenly leaped in front of Gin, waving his arms. "Hey mister, why are you dressed all in black?" He asked loud enough to garner attention from other people in the inn as per his plan. "You look awful scary! I'll bet you've a gun on you, huh? Can I see it! I love guns!"

Ai was frozen, her heart feeling entirely stopped. The blood was drained from her face. She could see Conan's shoes from the corner of her eye – and the black shadow that was Gin. She swallowed a mouthful of dry bile and stood up, peeking over the plant like, as she was, a terrified child; time to play the part of one...

Conan kept asking obnoxiously loud questions until Haibara popped up over the pot. He shivered coldly before beginning to talk to her in mildly broken English. Luckily she was wearing his glasses and her hair was... not as stoic as normal. "Oh, are you done being shy, Abby?"

The girl looked at him, terrified, and shook her head. "No..." She said in a quiet voice. It was taking all of her will to make herself seem less suspicious – it wasn't strange for a child to be afraid of two hulking behemoths in full black, right...? "Are they secret agents too, Aishii?" Also in English, but hers more fluent.

Conan looked up at Gin and smiled. "Are you, mister?" He changed back to Japanese and tugged on Gin's overcoat. "Are you and your big friend agents? She wants to know! She's from England!"

Gin stopped his advance, the tables turning in such a way that he had gained unwarranted attention from the boy's shouting. The curiosity of passersby and onlookers was problematic, the last thing either of them men in black wanted to instigate was a scene, especially that in which one involved such matters as to draw public suspicion, as by the mention of guns.

"O-oi, hey, you!" Vodka failed to catch Conan as he darted back in front of Gin. He seemed certainly flustered by the child's shouting, unnerved by all the unwanted looks. "Don't you two have anywhere you're supposed to be?.. What're we supposed to do about them, Aniki..?" Neither were.. Particularly skilled in the dealing with children, the fact that people were practically staring just made it worse. He could feel them looking on, and it made him nervous.

Gin had taken up immediate interest in the appearance of the second child. Although she hadn't made direct eye contact with him, there had seemingly been a strike to a chord in his memory. She seemed oh so familiar… almost that she.. Looked like a younger version of her… Shiho, or more to him.. Sherry.

Luckily the tugging on his coat was enough to break his analyzing stare for at least a moment, he down at Conan.

"England, hm..?" He didn't seem to hold his attention for long though, as his gaze wandered back to her again..

When Gin looked at her Haibara's organs all literally stopped functioning for a split second, seized with fear. He knew. He knew…! There was no way he didn't… oh god… oh god…

Conan noticed his friend from the corner of his eye and immediately rushed to her side in time to see her falling from her position on the plant. … she'd fainted…! "Hey, hey… Abby… Abby?" Conan shook at the girl, his heart pounding through his chest. "Abby! Abby!" He said repetitively.

He picked her up, holding her in his arms before looking back to the two men in black, giving them the best child's face he had for an apology. "S-sorry…" He said in quiet Japanese. "She's had a frail heart for years. She was so scared of you two! She doesn't like strangers…" He balanced her on his knee to brush her hair from her face.

"She needs her medicine… I should find Uncle…" Looking down at Haibara the small detective let out a rather truthful huff. He was right. Here. With. Them. Them. The men in black that had -done- this to him… so many questions, so much anger… and it all had to be dropped at the door… "Sorry for bothering you! If she gets better we'll look for you again!" He smiled. "I have so many questions, ochi-san!"

"Hm.." Gin watched them leave with an ebb of suspicion. 'So many questions' indeed.. There were more in his own mind as well now. He'd have to conduct his own research into this.. She looked so very much like Sherry.. He had enough suspicion to look into it. Even the slightest gave him enough. Like a ghost from the past, she'd haunt his thoughts until he knew more..

With a heavy drag on his cigarette Gin made his way back to the original booth, his mind still busy running with though. He'd let Vodka do the talking with the client, as he would have anyway, but now his mind was busy elsewhere.. A face he had seen before, and knew very well. It was like catching a distorted glimpse of the past.

He decided to muse over it while they had been waiting..

How ironic, how she seemed to have passed out under his glare.. What had he called her.. Abby? From England…? And yet the boy had mentioned that she had a heart condition for a fairly long time.. She spoke in a broken English, .. They were both children.. Either they had told each other their life stories upon meeting or there was a gaping flaw in this explanation. There was something that gave him the suspicion of the second option more so than the first. '_We'll look for you again_'.. Hm, perhaps it'd be destined that more would be figured out soon enough..

Conan took Haibara to Agasa, who he quickly found upon a quick sweep of the place. He explained the situation and Agasa's face went grimly pale.

"Zhe… faintet?" He asked quietly, putting his hand against her forehead, looking her over. "Just like zat…?"

"He looked at her," Conan said quietly, his words having the same weight as if he was speaking of a rape victim. "He looked right at her, professor…"

"… zis is not gut… not in ze least…" The old, fat man scratched his head quietly, looking the child over. "Here, let me take her to ze room… I'll make sur she rests up."

"… Agasa, take the stairs." Conan informed him quietly, happy they were out of the sight of the two men in black. "I don't want him to see where she's going. If he finds her room, he might… do something…" That, and the stairs didn't require passing through the lobby…

"… Shinichi-kun… do you zink he knows?"

"It's… terribly likely," the shrunken teenager admitted quietly. He had been so stupid to eavesdrop on those two. But now they knew him as Aishii… he could continue to investigate… and if they caught him so be it. Haibara was no longer in danger… not this way… "I'm going to stay down here."

"… vhat…?" Agasa's brows raised. He gently relieved Conan of Haibara's body, looking at Conan skeptically. "You'll be kilt! You know zhey vill keel a child…"

"They won't. Not with all of these people around." He got on his toes to pluck his glasses off of Haibara, putting them back on his own face before walking away from Agasa; sealing the deal on that conversation. He was determined. He walked back into the lobby and rolled under one of the several dining tables, continually crawling under them like a maze until he deemed himself close enough to the pair.

It seemed the informant had finally arrived, though the business talk had already been underway… and had mostly been talked out. Alas, it would have been handled either quickly or partially due to the nature of the area.. Having had one interruption already likely made them even the more so suspicious of people listening in. Vodka seemed to be doing most of the talking, from the jest of it. Gin's intimidating nature didn't make him the ideal one of the two to be the discusser of basic informants.

"And there's the money.." A black case was slid across the table, "We'll meet you again soon as you get more information from the database." A stern nod, and the deal seemed to be done.

A perfectly inconspicuous looking fellow accepted the case with a grin. "I'll be glad to work with you for as long as I have information to give." He stood up, taking the case with him, "Until we meet again." And once again fell into the movement of the crowd, such a person as to look completely normal among the others. Save for the fact that he carried a black case, he looked like any other business man..

Gin eyed the man as he left the parlor lobby. "Until That Person and the Organization has no use for him any longer.." He muttered under his breath, blowing smoke into the air. It was apparent of the fate of most casual informants, as they usually got in over their heads with the thought of money once they lost their usefulness.. And would later be dealt with another.. Final deal. He said it as though it were any normal procedure, as though it were the same old song and dance.

His partner nodded, "Another one of those, but for now he at least gave us what we wanted.."

"Hm..," At least partially.. In terms of business, yes, they got what they wanted.. But there were still other things on mind..

Conan watched the client come and go, pressed as close to the pole of the table as possible, keeping himself invisible, as he hoped, simply doing his best to listen. Of course hearing the post-transaction banter was no shock to the boy - as he'd heard somewhat similar on the train many moons ago…

The boy lowered his head and simply… sat there, watching the legs of Gin and Vodka. It was so tempting to run out and scream… they were murderers, criminals, smugglers…! …they deserved to pay. He almost thought they deserved to… die, perhaps… He could end it all now. Run right out from under this table and its cloth and scream.

He shivered and gripped the pole tightly, his knuckles white. He'd never been this close for this long before, next to the fight with the helicopter with the tower… … what if Gin recognized him from then…? With his glasses back on… was it possible…? … thinking of Irish Conan quickly got red-faced. This was the bastard who killed his only link… shit… and he was powerless to -stop- them…

There was at least some time of a pause before they spoke again. Though when they had.. It was about the events from before.

"Aniki.. do you think those kids heard any of that, before?" Vodka seemed to find himself more or less retracing his memory to recall if they had mentioned anything of grave importance at the time.

"Perhaps.." Gin was still thinking about the girl, how familiar she was, dead set on finding out exactly what was going on with all of this.. since she had last disappeared after that confrontation on the rooftop.. Was this all coincidence? Sherry wasn't a child.. But.. That face. "I don't believe we mentioned anything compromising."

It probably was a good thing she hadn't made direct eye contact. At least, for their safe, Gin was in the mode of suspicion that something was up rather than completely convinced. It just seemed so strange.

"I think we should wrap this up, even so.." Being in public so long had began to become a nuisance to the men.

… which lead to another issue. The moment either of the two men were going to stand up, it would become painfully obvious that some little boy was there, just about to get tangled up against their feet. Which was just about to happen, as it was.

A boy running out from a table would be obvious. Conan sitting under here would be obvious. He was fucked. "Hnn…" He let out a quiet sigh, eyes narrowing. What could he do…? He felt his heart seize up…! Gin was… much like him… a detail-seeing person. If he slipped out, he'd be noticed…! Shit! … but if he stayed here he had no chance…

The boy swallowed hard. It was now or never. He darted out the furthest side of the table from Gin and Vodka, his heart thudding hard against his ribs as raw fear pierced his skull. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…! He quickly removed his glasses, ruffled his hair and unbuttoned his jacket as he ran, trying to create a makeshift disguise in case they gave chase, which they probably would.

No boy under table + suddenly boy under table = eavesdropping…! "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…"

And at it was a that moment, there was no further discussion of what had or hadn't been heard, as both men had seen the boy run out from under the table. Now THERE was a situation of compromise.

Indeed. No kid. Then suddenly kid. And kid running?

HM. SUSPICIOUS INDEED.

Gin saw him dart out from under the booth and had nearly made a successful grab as the boy took off running, just grazing the back of his collar as he got away, viciously cursing under his breath._ So close_.

There was a growl from Gin as the two of them came up from the booth, and no time for Vodka to inquire to his partner NOW as the other man had already given chase, leaving the stouter of the two to keep up. There was definitely something on his Aniki's mind including the fact that this kid had just been eavesdropping in.. something that made him damned determined as well. He nearly collided with his partner then though, as Gin had come to a sudden stop.

The lobby was full of people moving about.. Gin's sharp eyes were hunting through the crowd, waiting to spot the boy that had dashed out the moment he dare make a move that stood out from the rest.. If he continued to run, he'd see him.. He wouldn't be hesitant to give chase, either. Where was he..

Conan nearly felt tears at his eyes. He had felt the hand, even if it never touched him, he had -felt- it. So fearful his senses were on fire. Sadly enough he thought his ambiguity in the crowd was steel-strong; he kept running, emerging from the other side as the crowd broke, looking over his shoulder in Gin's direction.

The boy stiffened up as he saw Gin's eyes scanning. Oh god this was -so- bad… if he ran back to the room… they'd follow him. They'd find Agasa and Haibara…! They'd… kill both of them… could he let that happen…? … he couldn't surrender but he couldn't return to safety… shit… inhaling a very sharp sigh, he simply… stood there. He allowed himself to be seen by the two, looking at Gin with the expression of a knowing adult. It… was for the better if he died here as opposed to having Haibara and Agasa's blood on his hands.

He simply smirked at Gin afterward, even having the gall to wave at him, before darting away once more, making his way to the stairwell.

Gin had indeed seen him, and if one could light the fires of rage with a torch, well… that torch was a grin and wave. He had the gall to.. Taunt him! That was it. The hunt was on. Vodka saw it too.. And knew… there would be hell to pay. Oh boy. Gin wasn't going to let this kid go.

Gin swore, making his way through the crowd at an alarming pace, determined to keep the child in his sights as the brat had dashed around the corner. Ignoring any protest from those he had bumped into, he could care less about them, he made his way around that same corner to follow suit. That left his poor partner in the crowd. Vodka would catch up, Gin knew, but the taller man couldn't wait up on him, there wasn't enough time.

He turned around the corner of the room quickly, finding it preferably empty, a stairwell off to the side.. People wouldn't be there as a usual, most of them would rather use the elevator. No one else would be there..

He growled under his breath, eying the doors along the hall as he passed… Authorized Personnel only, Storage, Utilities.. All locked of course… That only left one way to go. Up the stairs. And that was exactly where he went..

Hearing the footsteps behind him made Conan pick up his pace. With his smaller legs there was no way he could full-on outrun Gin - it'd be impossible. The boy simply skipped stairs, hopped over banisters… did whatever he could to get as far away from Gin as possible without wasting much time.

He passed floor exit after floor exit after floor exit as the two of them ascended before finally an idea dawned on him. Sure that he was a few flights ahead, he took a moment to wrap his hand around the knob, kick up the power of his sneakers, and kick the large metal door open.

He then darted up the stairs as quietly as he could, hoping the door would throw Gin off of his trail under the assumption he had gone through…

Gin pursued him, unnervingly persistent. He was determined to overtake and catch the little eavesdropping child. As well as he was passing each set of exits, he listened for the boy's steps resounding off the steps, making a respective judgment of the distance between them. It wasn't long at all before he as well reached the forced open door, pausing before it skeptically.

Something felt.. Peculiar about this. As though perhaps… had it been set up? The boy was too small to have forced open the heavy door, as it looked, but.. There was too much of an open window in the fact that the boy may have passed into the room, or passed it up together to risk making a mistake. He'd have to see for himself… with a trick of his own.

Giving an audible growl, he grabbed the handle of the door. "Think you're better off hiding in here, hm..?" He allowed for a moment to give the illusion that he had entered the room before pulling the door closed with a slam, feeling the lock jam into place with it. Ah well, if the boy HAD gone inside it, there wouldn't be a way to force it back open without a lock pick.

With a silent devilish smirk, Gin looked up the stairs ahead of him, waiting for either a sound to hear if the boy continued his retreat or to see if the boy would perhaps look back down in hopes that he would have been able to use the room to lose him and pass back down the flight of stairs..

Conan heard the slam and paused as anyone would. In his frenzy to get away he arrived onto the landing two flights above the set door, gripping at the rail and struggling to catch his breath as silently as possible. Choking in mouthful after mouthful of panicked air, he felt his lungs constricting.

He'd have to rest… slowly the boy pressed his back against the door of that floor, not realizing it was ajar.

With a 'click', the boy's small weight pressed the door out of place, sliding back as if in slow motion as Conan's heart caught in his chest. His eyes grew huge and panicked as his lungs seized up, requiring oxygen. In a panicked, animal state the boy took his required gasps of air before ascending even higher… until he ran into a bit of a problem.

He was out of stairs and faced with only the door to the roof… and a dead end.

"Shit…" He swore quietly, gasping for breaths. No doubt he'd hear his pursuer soon. If he went off into the roof… Gin might throw him off. An unfortunate accident of a child playing where one shouldn't, of course, it would be passed off as an accident… "… shit…" He crumpled against the dead-end wall, holding his head, letting his lungs replenish as his thoughts raced madly.

Gin was rewarded with just the sound he had been waiting for. The telltale click that gave the boy's position away practically pinpointed him like a target. Gin resumed his hunt. It wouldn't take long at all before he was up those last two flights, fueled by the thrill of the chase, he wasn't slowed down by having traversed up each level of stairs.

Wouldn't be long now at all.. Perhaps to him, it would almost be a shame to end it so quickly. For a kid, the boy had been clever in his attempts, seeing as he had managed to get close as he had without getting caught. Alas though, sneaky children in the end tend to get caught in the act.. That act, about to end as it was, as Gin was at the door.

If Conan had any other tricks up his sleeve, it may have been time to employ them now.. Or start praying for some sort of miracle to drop itself out of the sky.

Hearing Gin get closer made Conan's heartbeat crawl by. He looked all around as well as he could… if he took the roof he -knew- Gin would throw him off. Anything to place the blame on another… "Shit… shit…" He muttered to himself, breathing at a steady, but still quiet, level, covering his head with his hands, trembling.

The fear was simply blinding. He couldn't keep his calm - if it were anyone else it would be fine. But this was the Devil's case scenario… looking up as if to pray for said miracle, his teared-up eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the platform, when suddenly an idea popped into his head. It wouldn't be easy, but it would provide more of a chance than going out onto the roof.

The boy activated his soccer-ball belt, letting it inflate steadily, pressing it against the ground to slowly lift him up. Hearing Gin get closer, he closed his eyes and swore, but his prize was near. An air conditioning duct that thankfully wasn't screwed on all the way for easy access. Hearing the ball beginning to moan as it ran out of room to fill, the boy grabbed the vent.

With an earsplitting bang, the platform was covered in odd latex scraps of black and white. The sheer force had opened the door to the roof - but Conan was nowhere in sight, as he'd successfully ripped the vent off and was now making his way through the shaft frantically.

Gin had just been opening door when the loud bang caused him to nearly recoil. The loud bang had almost sounded like a gunshot, and raised his level of wariness to a degree that he instinctively reached into his coat and pulled out his familiar Beretta 92 handgun. The door ahead to the roof had been blown open, presumably by what caused the explosion..

With a level of suspicion, Gin approached the door, gun raised.. Before catching sight of the odd scraps of material that floated though the open air on the roof. That bang hadn't been a gun at all.. By the looks of it.. It had been a soccer ball. Silently, he scrutinized the situation, following the scraps up to the wall.. With an air vent who's cover seemed to have been screwed on insecurely enough to come off easily.

Gin swore angrily as his partner had finally caught up, looking flustered and worn down from having run up all those flights of stairs. "Aniki? Are you alright? I heard a -" He was cut off by the taller man pushed past him once again, leaving him to catch up. He at least hoped he wouldn't have to run all the way back down the stairs.

Gin knew the boy had crawled into the air vent, and would have to follow the path of the air ducts if he wanted to be exactly where he ended.. He knew well enough he'd be able to hear the boy moving through the vents, as they were made of metal, surely a child crawling inside would make a resounding noise.. Growling under his breath, he stood in the hall once again, looking to the ceiling, waiting for a sound..

Conan, thankfully not claustrophobic enough for the duct to bother him, crawled through as well as he could given the space limitations and the frigid air flowing through. "Hnn…" Biting his lip he managed to steal a look over his shoulder, looking at the exit to the shaft with a frown. Gin must have left.

Knowing full well he could easily turn back and escape into the rooms, he had no idea which hall or floor in which Agasa had purchased his room… sighing he shivered plainly and continued down the shaft, indeed, somewhat noisily, much to his own dismay.

In the small confined space he had, not sure where he was over, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his detective badge, giving it a beep. "Haibara. It's Conan. Come in." After a few long seconds of silence he finally heard the crackle of a response. The signal was shot in the duct. "Shit…"

"Haibara! Haibara!" Not realizing he was shouting he paled and sighed. "Okay, I can't hear you Ai… all I hear is static. Radio in the number of the floor you're on; radio, then pause, etcetera, until you've said the floor number… I'm in -huge- trouble… I need to make contact with you and Agasa-san to explain but as of now I'm in danger…"

Gin followed the sound, the metal's clanging making it easy enough to trace his position. Not to mention the fact that he had yelled… Gin was able to follow his movement through the duct, walking silently beneath, eying the ceiling. He could have made a quick shot with his gun, yet once the boy had started speaking…

Perhaps now was time to do a bit of eavesdropping of his own. He might have something interesting to say himself, after all..

'You'll take me to yourself and to anyone else you might tell what you've heard, wont you..', as he thought a twisted smirk played across his face, one that seemed to show mainly when he was thinking out particularly vicious plans..

Vodka had taken notice of the silence, and remained so as well, keeping an eye out to make sure no one unexpected was going to encroach on this little hunt..

Haibara did as requested. Conan counted the number until he reached five before sighing and falling silent. "Okay. Got it." He whispered quietly, shivering due to the coldness of the duct and the air wheezing through. "Do it again… but this time for the second number of the room number…" He shivered and coughed. It was inhabitable up here…

After a few more minutes of silence Conan began to back out of the vent quietly, looking over his shoulder every so often to be sure nothing was amiss. He had the room number. He could explain to them what happened and get them out of here before Gin noticed. But as for him…? He'd have to surrender himself if Gin -did- manage to find him before that could happen…

Rolling out of the vent and onto the floor below the boy winced, rubbing at his tailbone and temporarily enjoying the warmth brought on from the air outside.

"Kudo-kun…" The badge chirped. Conan's brows raised and he handed it, looking at it skeptically. "Forget the room number. We're already packing our things."

"Oi! Haibara!" Conan hissed at the badge, sighing in defeat. All of that work for nothing? "What am I supposed to do?"

"Survive. I did some detective work of my own. And getting Agasa-san killed is not on my agenda. Once he's got the bags packed I'll reunite with you. But until then, survive. They'll hunt you down. And knowing Gin he heard you on the badge and is trying to link you to us. We're all in danger now."

"I know… and I'm sorry, but-"

"Goodbye, Kudo-kun. I'll make contact soon."

"Oi… Haibara!" Conan could have shaken the badge if it would have done him any good. Sighing he looked at the rooftop from the doorway and skimmed about it. He could lure them out there, despite the danger. Kick something at Gin and knock him out…? It was worth a try. In a rather bold attempt to solidify this, he exited onto the roof… and then slammed the door as hard as he could.

Gin listened in silence, trying to catch the room number code. If he caught it, after dealing with the child.. Even if they made a run for it, he could check the hotel checkout ledger in the lobby and find exactly who checked in and out from which rooms..

He followed the sound of much quieter shuffling with his gaze. 'Backing out now, hmm..?' There was relative silence that followed..

Both men heard the heard the door slam shut, giving them a new location to hunt their 'prey'..

"Back on the roof.." Gin headed quickly for the doorway, once again in pursuit just after the slam. His partner as well drew out his gun. It would be risky shooting in such a public area, if things could be dealt with in a more… 'silent' fashion, but precaution was precaution.

Gin shoved the door open quickly, giving the area a visual sweep before stepping out of the doorway onto the open roof, Vodka following suit..

Standing out in plain sight would be their prize - more noticeably now, however, would be a pair of suspenders over his t-shirt. He had his watch-tranq drawn and had the crosshairs aimed directly at Gin's head. Last time Gin had shot the area with the dart.

But if he got him in the head, it'd be a different story, now wouldn't it…?

"How nice of you to give me company, mister…" He said clearly. Upon seeing Vodka as well, he nodded like a gentleman would in greeting. "Ah, sorry. Misters." He shrugged. "It's all the same, huh?"

The cocky seven-year-old quickly snapped his watch shut, however, and simply pocketed his hands. "Gin and Vodka. Operatives of the Black Organization; high ranking ones at that." This would probably all sound weird coming from his mouth, and he knew it. But if he was to die, he was to die correctly. And that was by driving fear into the hearts of these men.

"It was odd for us to meet you here. Well, me. I'm on your case. As are thousands of others. You may think me bluffing but as a seven-year-old kid who outsmarted the foxes of Japan… I wouldn't take me so lightly, hm, Gin?" He asked coldly, looking directly into the man's eyes. "Not that you remember me at all. I've heard you like to forget people you murder. But let me remind you. You were in a helicopter. You and your other 'friends'. You were shooting at one of your dummy operatives and a kid." He pointed to himself casually with a grin. "I'm the one who brought down your chopper and almost brought an end to your lives.

"Thankfully I didn't, else I would have never had the chance to have a civil conversation with you like this; assuming you don't shoot me on sight after this…" He smirked. This kid knew what he was talking about…

Both men, for the moment, seemed initially stunned… This kid.. He knew.. Everything. Memories came flooding back rapidly, that kid who jumped off the side of the tower, bringing the helicopter down as he launched something into it, with enough force to take out the tail rotor.. And he lived?

"A-Aniki…" Vodka looked to his partner, more than a bit floored. This kid knew too much, far too much,.. He knew them, their code names.. what he stated was more than enough, but what if he knew MORE? How exactly had he gotten this much information, even if he was involved in the case with Irish.. How would he know.. Was there a traitor among them as well? Someone they didn't know about? And what should they do about this kid?

The stunned reaction from Gin didn't take long to turn into anger and scrutiny. Indeed, he wasn't one to remember the names or faces those he killed.. A way of avoiding one's ghosts, was not to know them at all. Though.. Something about this kid.. He could almost remember someone before who had 'paid' for his eavesdropping. "Apparently you must not have died the first time, then..," He couldn't place him, but.. Perhaps..

His eyes were hidden by his hair, but one could feel that angry glower as he approached, pistol in hand.. It let out a click out as he loaded a clip into it. Although instead of shooting him, Gin suddenly rushed, grabbing the boy up in a bunch around his collar, hoisting him up to eye level. "Have any more words, boy..?"

Conan let out a bit of a startled cry. He had not expected that. Not… at all… He grit his teeth, but surprisingly enough? The kid didn't make a single move. He only grinned at Gin. He had the gall to look this demon in the eyes. He was smiling as sincerely as he could, his hands simply limp at his sides. "You won't believe my last words even if I told them to you, Gin."

Conan's voice was cold now. His eyes were a cool, crisp and rather hateful glare. And odd feeling was sparking up inside of him; courage was existing in areas formerly frozen by fear. "I know everything about you because of Sherry." He smirked darkly, his hair covering those… scarily sharp eyes of his. "She's quite the lady, isn't she, Gin…?"

If someone could light another person on fire with looks alone.. Then the following expression from Gin would have been like spewing napalm over the fires of hell itself. His teeth clinched, If there were to theoretically be only one thing he hated it would have to be a traitor. Such a rage was in his eyes from that mere statement alone.. Conan would be close enough to see.

"..Sherry.." He hissed darkly, as though spitting acid.

He jerked his arm suddenly in a wide motion, allowing Conan to be swung over the precarious drop that was the roof's edge, His grip was tight, but he could drop him at any moment.. Which would leave him as no more than an accident. A kid who snuck up on the rooftop, slipped, and paid for it.. Although..

Gin jerked him back suddenly, bringing him dangerously close, meeting eye to hateful eye. "If you're so close then… To our dear Sherry… you'll be glad to take us to her.. Won't you..?" His terrible grin returned. 'If you value anything at all' didn't have to be said aloud, it was in his eyes. That look spoke more than words. '_I will tear everything you know apart. Every. Single. Thing. Will. Burn.._'.

He expected that backlash; that expectation alone kept him from squealing out like anyone in their right mind would have. He kept his eyes hidden through the sweep, and kept himself from doing too much as kicking. "If you drop me, I'll get away alive." He said simply. However, this was a bluff – but hopefully Gin would fail to see through it. "If you drop me, they'll see you."

The boy peeked out from under his shroud of hair and lens, smirking. "But of course knowing you you'll call my 'bluff'. You'll say I'm just a lying kid and drop me without a thought. But I guarantee you this. I won't die. And I'll be back." He grinned sadistically. "So you can either shoot me point blank up here, on a public roof... or take me somewhere more private."

Conan obviously wasn't up for bargaining. He was -on- the wire of life and death here; if he died now he'd have no chance. If he was set to die later? He might get away. Conan didn't believe in luck as much as probability...

"You'll never see Sherry ever again no matter what you do to me, Gin." His grin thickened. "Not until you pass into the next world." If he'd even let him see her there, assuming they died all together. He looked past Gin, looking to Vodka, and then back to Gin. "Shoot me right here or I'll never leave you be! I'll keep pursuing you. I can bring down helicopters. I can dodge bullets.

"Shoot me right here or I'll never leave you be! I'll keep pursuing you. I can bring down helicopters. I can dodge bullets. I can outsmart -foxes-..."

The boy seemed serious, stern and grim enough. "What chance do you think you have, Gin? Vodka? … What if I'm the ghost of everything you've ever done? Kill me here or I'll haunt you forever. And even after the bullet's stopped my heart I'll still be back someday, mark my words."

Vodka felt unnerved when he looked to him, if even more so than before. He was pointing his own gun at the boy. Something about that kid…the words he was saying.. Even to a killer, was deranged. Something felt like.. He wasn't even a kid at all.

Gin growled and advanced forward, pressing himself and Conan against the edge, letting himself pin him close to the drop. He turned the boy, forcing him to look out over the perilous incline. "I could aim there… let you hit the concrete.. Or throw you in the street.. No one would see.. I'd have to lean out further than this for them to see me from there.." He was looking out over the street as well.

"It would take nothing for me to throw you that far.. But you.. You have something I want, and you know you do..," He turned his glare back to the child, stabbing at him with hateful daggers, not intending to let what he wanted slip out of his grasp.

Conan's eyes darkened, if it was even possible at this point. As Gin turned him like a rag-doll he frowned inwardly. This was the end of things as they were. With a half-hearted chuckle he realized he got what he wanted from Gin, but in the process of this, he was throwing everything... and everyone... else he knew away.

He'd never see Ran again. Not if this plan worked. But it was... worth it, in so many sick, deranged ways. He noticed Vodka. The faint tremble in his hand. He noticed everything, and as he looked down at the concrete he saw exactly what he expected – no one who cared. With a smile, he let out a light exhale. He'd won. But at what cost, now?

"How wonderful." He said, his voice full of venom. "To be wanted by Gin, the heartless and cold killer of countless innocents. How sweet to know there's a part of him that yearns." Things began to make sense now; this plan had gotten out of hand, but an unknown power to him was … forcing more words out. More rhetoric to elongate his own life.

"I have exactly what you want. I have Sherry. I have her. The one thing you want." Conan chuckled softly, watching the cars go by as if he was seeing his last sights. He'd aged fifty years in these fifty minutes. "The one person you couldn't kill; why did you leave her in the room, Gin...? Did you really love her that much?" The moment the 'l' word had slipped his lip, Conan grinned sadistically.

"Did you really want to believe she loved you enough to sit and wait for you to come kill her? Hah. You're an idiot, Gin. Now I know. Now thousands of police officers know about your little... organization... your -cult-, if you will... so many people know and are looking into your every move because you put trust in a traitorous bitch? Hah!"

The boy was literally cracking up while his own conscious was staring at him in awe...

Indeed, Vodka had faltered slightly.. The kid was going literally to pieces up here.. Insane! How he knew everything.. Even about Sherry.. How long had this kid been on them? Nevertheless he was pinned now, but going to complete shambles.. Perhaps it WOULD be better to shoot him before he went completely nuts on the two of them both..!

Conan's words were pouring more fuel onto the fire, in Gin's case. "You say I'm the idiot..," He pressed him hard against the edge, anger in his eyes, "A hanging man will say a lot before the noose breaks his neck.."

He gave him a hard look, right in the face. "You'll be joining your 'friend' Irish soon, wont you…" He paused for a moment.. His expression changing.. Analyzing.. Something… Ah.. It all made sense now. He remembered the other late man's words. Shortly before that mission.. asking him if he had remembered a certain someone… A grin now. "… Won't you.., Kudo Shinichi..?"

Conan's insides stopped for what felt like a solid minute. He inhaled sharply, fighting the innate urge to start struggling. His heart was going a mile a minute; his throat went dry, his eyes wide, his body limp. So that's how it was. The boy seemed stunned. He thought he was, anyway.

"Good boy, Gin," the words kept coming. How he wanted to stop them. He wanted to grab his own throat and tell himself to shut up, but nothing he could do was stopping himself. "It took you forever, but you finally figured it out too late. Irish was right. You should have listened to him. But Sherry got to me long before he did, sadly enough for you."

He chuckled dryly. "No. Kudo Shinichi is dead." He shook his head a fraction, looking at Gin, unflinching. "He died that night at Tropical Land." He simply let out a defeated puff of air, still smiling uselessly. "I lived, Gin... she lived. We're all still alive. We're all watching you, Gin. Every. Last. One. Of. Us." He smiled faintly. "So what are you going to do, Gin?"

"Are you going to kill me and everything I know...? Are you going to let the FBI figure out I'm missing? Oh, right! Did I mention the FBI...?" He smiled. "They know. They have agents inside. Everyone knows. You've built a castle of cards with That Person and now it's all going to crumble because of one little fuckup you managed to let slip."

"You could have shot me in the head ages ago and been done with me. But no. Poison... hah." Conan chuckled. A hanging man did have a lot to say. And he was going to say it until he was forcefully silenced. "I've poisoned you and your whole damned organization, and now you're all going down with me, should you detonate this part of the plan now..."

Vodka was ready to shoot the kid on sight as this point.. Threatening his partner, the organization.. Everything! The FBI would be in on it? Perhaps it was startling paranoia from the fact of all this kids knowledge to be reviled all at once, but he worried perhaps the kid was even bugged..

Gin snarled. "And what good would they get from it..!" His anger flared once more, thinking about other traitors that had turned up in the Organization, those who had been in the FBI.. Particularly one which he longed to see die.. A second time.

After his initial outburst, Gin calmed to a near sickly cool. "..It was an accident after all.. Kids shouldn't run around on rooftops.. Should they, Kudo.. A ghost I'll remember.."

He stood up, and held Conan out at arms length over the drop. "Anything else you want to say.. detective kid..?"

"You would be dumb enough to kill the one link you have to Sherry. You should know with enough torture anyone talks." The boy seemed smug; too smug. He looked at Vodka quietly, analyzing the look on his face, factoring in his possible thoughts... before a smirk broke onto his features in spite of this.

"Vodka should talk more." He commented wryly. "I'm bugged, I assure you, Gin. A GPS and a listening device. Why do you think I'm so... confident in myself? No matter what you do now, they have you." Conan let the words slip over himself as his palms began to sweat. He could see the cars passing down below him. He grinned.

The sound of sirens would soon break over the horizon. The boy looked over in the direction of the coming sound quietly. "Ah, they're closer than I thought." Conan felt a breeze flutter with his hair. "Go ahead, Gin. Drop me. Save your own skin. The moment those buses park in front of this hotel, you and Vodka will be goners, and like dominoes? Everyone else will fall."

"Like you said yourself, Gin. A hanging man has a lot to say. Now you can start... saying... or you can start... hanging..."

Gin narrowed his eyes, glaring hateful daggers at Conan. Of course he WANTED to just snatch the boy down and tear him apart for every piece of information he had, break every link, snap every tie, to know exactly what he did.. To shred him for every scrap of information.. For having known about them.. For the Organization.. For Sherry. He wanted to so terribly..

Vodka paled when Conan seemed to announce his thoughts, having read him like an open book. "A-Aniki..! He'll have them here before we're able to get out at this rate..!" He was right too.. They'd be coming fast, then they'd all be in for it.

The sounds of distant sirens caused Gin tear away his death stare. "…." So he HAD called them. They wouldn't have long.. He wouldn't have the time to force him to spill it, lest he wanted to sacrifice he and his partner both to his enemies.. And that he did not. Perhaps, that would have made him rank right up with those traitors in his own mind.

"Well then… let them have their.. fallen angel… Until we meet on the other side, Kudo.." Gin swung his arm back, and then flung the boy forward over the edge of the roof into the air.

What desire he had to reach over and fire off rounds to insure the face that the boy wouldn't make some miraculous recovery or saved himself from the drop.. Hell, he'd leapt off a building before and lived! The both of them had seen it happen! If only he wouldn't have been seen or heard.

Both men were silent. Vodka was still holding his gun raised, unnerved by the entire scene. They had just flung the boy off the rooftop, but his words had indeed left a residual amount of fear.

Perhaps in Gin as well, even if he wouldn't have admitted it.. For some reason, He doubted the kid would die from this alone. Somehow.. He expected a trick of some sort, for him to have clutched onto some ill-bodingly close ledge, somehow not to die. Indeed, some ghosts would not be forgotten.. He waited, silently, for the result of his action.

Conan only had a chance to let out a frail gasp by the time he was flung, but things were already in action. He was falling. Gin had thrown him. Why did this take so long to click in his head…? But he knew. Gin knew who he was now… and the only way he could save his friends would be by dying right here, but something inside of him wasn't… quite… done fighting yet.

The boy flicked his wristwatch as the scenery blew by him, firing the single loaded tranquilizer needle at Gin's forehead. But knowing his aim due to the fall, it would most likely miss. The boy sighed quietly; he felt like he was falling in slow motion. Dying, maybe… "Until next time… Aniki…" Conan said quietly, knowing full well the words would be eaten by the wind.

The boy then twisted himself around, grabbed his suspenders, and threw one end of it onto one of the hotel's advertising flagpoles by the first floor. Letting it grapple he made quick work of pressing the withdraw key on the side of the suspenders, the grapple suddenly preventing the boy's drop to Hades.

Conan sat at the end of the bungee he'd created, looking down at the two story drop below him, feeling… somewhat hollowed out. He'd have to leave Ran and Kogoro. He'd have to leave Agasa and Haibara. Everything and everyone… He swore at the instinct in him for not letting him die then and there; for the price of his life was… dire.

Looking across the street to the parking area for the hotel, the boy brightened a bit on the inside. He saw the professor's yellow bug. … he also saw a very scared looking Haibara in the front seat, staring in awe directly at him; all he could do was smile.

"Haibara… I left my badge on, didn't I…"

"You… you idiot…" The voice crackled through the badge. "… Gin knows now. He…" They both sat in a comfortable silence for a moment or two, listening to the traffic go by. Finally Conan clicked the button on the suspenders and dropped himself slowly to the ground below, where he simply… stood in a daze.

"Don't come get me. I want them to come for me. Leave. Now." The boy said into the badge; before Ai could protest he simply took the old badge… and smashed it underfoot. He gave her a look from across the street and reclined against the building, crossing his arms, as if waiting for something.

As the sirens stopped in front of the hotel they revealed themselves as a simple fire unit, responding to an alleged call about a fire on the roof; fire fighters looked along the building, but when they saw nothing of the sort, simply left, writing it off as a prank.

"I can't return to you." Conan mouthed quietly to Haibara, who slammed her fists hard against the dash, mouthing back insults. Looking up at the roof he smirked, satisfied with himself.

Gin felt.. Enraged when he saw it. The source of the siren being a fire brigade, completely unrelated to anything that had to do with the rooftop scenario.

Gin jerked when he felt something prick him, causing him to recoil. Of course the movement didn't have him hit straight on, but rather burying into his hair.. It hit him nonetheless. Perhaps Conan heard him curse as well.

Whatever was in it, had a strong tranquilizing effect, causing him to slump, feeling like his legs had gone out on him. Vodka had rushed to him, but he was only half aware of his partners words, perhaps calling his name, he didn't know … what he DID know, in the back of his mind though.. Was that he had been just been duped and through the strange, drowsing implications of the drug he had just been injected with, he still felt that panging wave of anger.

With a terrible amount of determination, the taller man forced himself back to his feet. He could feel his partner try to keep him back, but only shrugged off his grasp, unable to make out any of his words. Determined, now, he would have him.. Though no mental clarity through the drug's effects, anger was the one thing that drove him. Making his way back to the edge, he peered over with blurred vision. He could see them all.. All the ghosts. Or was he dreaming? Everything was blurred… his subconscious was being blurred with reality. It was a hard fight to keep the drug from overtaking him… but his hunt must continue..

"I.. I see you..! Kudo..!" He called out, catching what he thought was glimpses of the boy. Gripping the edge of the building tightly, he lowered himself over the side onto the fire escape, despite his partners protests to keep him back. The tranquilizer had blurred his sense of reasoning. He clung onto the railing of the metal stairs, finding focus hard to keep.

"I'll… get you Kudo.. Sherry.. You both..", heading down the fire escape was more difficult than it should have been. Often he found himself slumping against the side of the building, or having a hard time keeping upright.. But he had to get that boy.. Just a ways more now..

Meanwhile in the protection of the bug, hidden amongst the other cars in the garage, said 'ghost' Sherry was having… a fit. Something Agasa had never… believed she could do. She was losing her cool.

"Drive, hagase! Drive!" She barked loudly, slamming her fists on the dash, pointing at the escape, barely visible from this far back. "He's coming for Kudo-kun, he-"

"… Shinichi-kun made himself clear, Ai-kun…" Agasa took a deep inhale and slumped a bit in his seat, looking at Conan from across the street, feeling his heart sinking. "Zhey know now… he knows eef we get him now… we will all be keelt." The old man ironed his forehead with a sigh, closing his tired eyes.

"T.. that never stopped him before," Ai said coldly. It was true. Conan -had- gotten them all in danger on more occasions than one. Suddenly though the girl went rigid and dove into the back seat. Agasa raised his brows as he watched her dig through her purse, but otherwise said nothing.

Conan stood there in front of the building, waiting patiently for his capture - later to be his death, as not even Gin was dumb enough to shoot a child point blank in public. Even as the night got later, it just wasn't probable. He heard Gin shout at him. Using his old name. The defeated detective simply fell in a slump at the building.

He swore at whatever force had caused him to speak and act the way he did. Now Gin knew who he was. He'd… he'd kill Ran… resting his head in his hands, he fought the urge to sob. Everything he had worked for… gone in an instinctive rant… Cursing himself over and over, he could only bite his lip as he heard the huge men fumbling down the escape.

"I hate you so much," He muttered quietly, looking at his own hands as they sat there, stony, not even trembling with the least of fear. "… I hate you so, so much…" He uttered.

Gin growled as he stumbled his way down the lower levels of the escape, keeping his blurring vision focused on his singled out target..

Vodka was having a time seemed to be focusing on not letting his partner launch himself over a railing, while Gin was ferociously going after the boy even with rapidly declining motor skills. He was unsure of what he had been shot with, but on the perhaps chance that it would kill him, he wouldn't be going down easily.. He was fighting it hard.

Neither of the men had yet to notice the yellow bug with Sherry and Agasa inside. If she had a plan to get them out of this mess, she at least for now had the cover of having yet to be seen.

"Kuudo.." Gin called out again, his presence a constant sense of torment, as though he were harassing him. He leaned onto the rail, leaning over to look at Conan, half drugged and wildly angry. "Maybe we don't have to be on the other side.. Maybe we're already in hell as it is..!"

"I know we're in hell, Gin." Conan responded coldly, looking over his shoulder at Gin, his face reluctantly stricken with tears. "Why do you think I consider you the devil." Conan stood up, crossing his arms behind his back and casually strolling to Gin, head held high as if not ashamed of the tears across his cheeks.

It was just as Conan was no more than a foot away that a bullet would lodge itself into the building's corner between the two. The boy, startled, looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. "Wh…" Peering past the garage he'd… see her. Haibar - no. Sherry. At her full size. With a handgun. "… Sherry…" He uttered softly.

Conan's heart raced. That… bloody moron. What was she… how… did she -plan- this…?

Sherry loaded another clip into her gun, having no shame about holding the pistol openly the way she did, glaring straight daggers at Gin, her face grim. In truth she had brought yet another test antidote in hopes of testing it on Conan during their vacation, but… luckily if it worked she had brought herself less… childish clothing.

"Leave the kid be, Gin." Her sharp eyes pierced past him, looking to Vodka as well with a deep frown. "The same goes for you. Back off or you'll be seeing each other in hell." She boldly crossed the street in the same breath and grabbed Conan by his collar, pulling him back behind her. "Now both of you back off. I have the FBI here."

Conan looked up at her with wide, confused and angered eyes. Gin would shoot her. He -hated- her… fuck! "Sh-Sherry… what…"

"Shut up, four eyes," Sherry growled quietly, throwing back the hammer of the pistol and aiming it steadily at Gin's head. "I'll blow your head off and you know it. You can either flee or die."

Gin stumbled down the last step onto what didn't feel like solid ground, everything was swimming about his head. He froze hearing the shot,.. The bullet.. her voice. Turning to look at her slowly. He had hunted her for so long.. Seeing her through a blur, he wasn't sure he was even awake or not.. Like a lucid dream. Was she really there, or just another face of a ghost, haunting his mind? "Ah… Sherry.." He purred darkly. "I knew I'd find you.. My dear Sherry.."

Vodka froze where he was, about to step down off the steps as well. There she was, right there, and he felt unnerved by her grim look. As though she could see right past the dark glasses that hid his face, and here she was, she could shoot them both here. Part of him wanted wished Gin would have blacked out on the roof, so he could have gotten them out of here.. "Aniki..?" He looked to his partner once more, though he was sure he went unheard.

Gin tried to straighten himself up, giving her a fiendish grin. Her words coming to him as muddled blurbs. The FBI.. The clever boy had tried that one on them already. The drug making him unsteady, he wasn't sure if he was remembering correctly. If there were sirens they would have been lost to him now. "Heh, That trick worked once.. But I.. have you now.. Sherry.." He raised his own gun, hand unsteady. 'Shoot her on sight'… He tried to get a bead on her through his own blur.. Everything felt like a dream…

Haibara didn't falter. If she didn't shoot now, she'd be shot. And Conan would be as well. They'd both be dead. Conan wasn't as determined. He could give himself up now and Haibara could run away and be safe… he grimaced at the thought. This couldn't have a happy ending no matter what they did…

"Well. That's too bad, Gin." Sherry cocked her gun slightly, a careless, soulless look reflected in her eyes. "Maybe you'll think of my sister during your recovery." So make herself clear she unloaded two shots; one at Gin's gut, the other at Vodka blindly, before she grabbed Conan by his collar and turned tail to run.

"Sh-Sherry…!" Conan looked up at her as she pocked her gun in order to hoist him onto her breast properly. "Are you insane?" When no response came he only stared at her as she ran, nearly screaming when she ran into traffic in order to lose the two on her trail, should they choose to follow.

"The hagase should be waiting for us somewhere over the next… intersection…" The woman panted. She hadn't been… drugged as much as Gin, no, but she could only pray her shots hit. Hopefully Vodka was too concerned over Gin to pursue her further… "You need to find Jodie-sensei and get in the witness protection progr-"

Conan only watched as she was forced to come to a stop, wheezing as she leaned against a lamp post. He could feel her unsteady heart beat. The gasps in her basic speech. .. She was changing back. He looked at her painfully and looked away as her hands squeezed his head against her breast. This was his fault.

"… Haibara… I'm… … I'm sorry…" He offered gently, nuzzling his head against her collarbone. All was lost now. Now they could watch as Gin lit fire to the entire tapestry they'd been weaving… now everything was for nothing. They were actively at war… "… I'm… s-so sorry…"

Vodka pulled back quickly, barely managing to avoiding taking the bullet aimed for him. "A..Aniki!"

Gin's usually quick reactions were practically nonexistent under the tranquilizers influence. The bullet buried itself into his flesh, leaving him to feel a dull, muted throb as it went in deep. "Huh.." He brought his hand to touch the hole in his coat, the fabric seeming to stick.. Starting to soak with blood. Perhaps it wasn't only in his head after all. "I… Almost had you.. " He brought his hand back and was almost amused.. It was soaked with red.. like wine.. "my dear.. Sherry.."

The drug finally overtook him, as he slumped down onto his knees. He was barely aware of Vodka having rushed to him, or of the bullet wound or its pain, all numbed by mental exhaustion caused by Conan's dart. Finally unable to fight its overtake, (and possibly aided by combined effect of the blood loss as well) Gin had blacked out.. He wouldn't be aware of his partner getting him back to the Porsche or the base, and likely wouldn't wake until he was in the infirmary later.

They were free from his chase, for now..

* * *

"Shut up, Kudo-kun. You've talked enough for one day - I'm having the professor force you to take some tests as soon as we get home. … I heard everything you said; it wasn't like you at all to talk like… that…" Panting, Haibara put her hands over her head, letting Conan rest on her knees as she knelt. "… C… call the professor…"

Conan nodded and grabbed at her badge. A hot minute later the orange bug rolled by. Stuffing a shrinking Haibara inside amongst his own wounds and exhaustion knocked the boy out - midway through getting into the car himself Conan collapsed on top of Haibara, his feet sticking out of the door.

"… oi… Shinichi-kun…" Agasa shook his head and smiled a fraction. Daring little fuck, he was… As unknowingly to them Gin was rushed to a hospital, Conan was rushed home and treated for his wounds; and as soon as he woke up? Was tested for multiple… mental problems. Even Agasa was unnerved… "Vat has happened to you…"

Shinichi didn't answer the questions he was being asked at the time. He seemed cold and hollow. Agasa had done research - his parents were safely in America. No one knew of him and Ran. No one knew of anyone Shinichi was connected with as thankfully he was just a popular kid. Assuring him there were no risks, Shinichi was still unresponsive to the professor.

"Shinichi-kun…" Agasa put his hand on the boy's forehead, looking him over with a deep, concerned frown. "You can't… go back to Ran and Kogoro now… You vill stay heah wif me and Ai-kun… it is for za best for Ran…"

Conan only nodded, holding his head in his hands, keep reliving the memory of the rooftop. He was broken. When he was left alone that night the boy simply curled up in the corner of… his new room… and sobbed relentlessly. Things were punched, words were screamed… promises were made. "I'll get you, Gin…" He uttered continuously.

Needless to say Haibara and Agasa got zero sleep that night.


End file.
